A History of Chinese Literature

The reader is now asked to begin once more at the sixth century B.C. So far we have dealt almost exclusively with what may be called orthodox literature, that is to say, of or belonging to or based upon the Confucian Canon. It seemed advisable to get that well off our hands before entering upon another branch, scarcely indeed as important, but much more difficult to handle. This branch consists of the literature of Taoism, or that which has gathered around what is known as the Tao or Way of LAO TZU, growing and flourishing alongside of, though in direct antagonism to, that which is founded upon the criteria and doctrines of Confucius. Unfortunately it is quite impossible to explain at the outset in what this Tao actually consists. According to Lao Tzu himself, "Those who know do not tell; those who tell do not know." It is hoped, however, that by the time the end of this chapter is reached, some glimmering of the meaning of Tao may have reached the minds of those who have been patient enough to follow the argument.

Lao Tzu was born, according to the weight of evidence, in the year B.C. 604. Omitting all reference to the supernatural phenomena which attended his birth and early years, it only remains to say that we really know next to nothing about him. There is a short biography of Lao Tzu to be found in the history of Ssu-ma Ch`ien, to be dealt with in Book II., chapter iii., but internal evidence points to embroidery laid on by other hands. Just as it was deemed necessary by pious enthusiasts to interpolate in the work of Josephus a passage referring to Christ, so it would appear that the original note by Ssu-ma Ch`ien has been carefully touched up to suit the requirements of an unauthenticated meeting between Lao Tzu and Confucius, which has been inserted very much /à propos de bottes/; the more so, as Confucius is made to visit Lao Tzu with a view to information on Rites, a subject which Lao Tzu held in very low esteem. This biography ends with the following extraordinary episode: "Lao Tzu abode for a long time in Chou, but when he saw that the State showed signs of decay, he left. On reaching the frontier, the Warden, named Yin Hsi, said to him, 'So you are going into retirement. I beg you to write a book for me.' Thereupon Lao Tzu wrote a book, in two parts, on Tao and Tê,[1] extending to over 5000 words. He then went away, and no one knows where he died."